Hospice Nursing
Hospice or palliative care is a specialized type of healthcare given to terminally ill patients who are predicted to die in less than six months. Rather than treatment, hospice focuses on providing compassionate care and comfort meant to maximize the quality of life for the patients for the remaining period of their lives. It is a holistic form of care that focuses on both physical, emotional, psychological, psychosocial as well as spiritual wellbeing of the patient and the family involved.
Dying can be a long and painful experience for both the patient and their family. Most people don’t take the news about starting hospice care positively. Having someone around who understands the situation can help such individuals deal with the whole process better. A hospice nurse plays the role of conventional nurses in recording symptoms and administering treatment meant to reduce pain while still providing emotional support to the patients and their families.
Hospice nurses are typically registered nurses who are specially trained to care for terminally ill patients with a life expectancy of less than one year. Hospice care can be given in hospice facilities but often done in a home setup where the patients feel more comfortable. Hospice nurses have to encounter death on a daily basis and therefore have to be exhibit a high level of maturity to deal with the losses.
End-of-Life Care
Hospice nursing is solely concerned with giving end-of-life-care. A hospice nurse spends most of their time with their patients in their home or hospice facilities, providing them with care and treatments to manage pain. They also provide emotional support and prepares the family on how to deal with loss when the time comes. People react differently to the end of life needs and, ultimately, news of death. For some people, it can be very hard and overwhelming for them. A hospice nurse comes in to provide support and care to such people and their families.
Benefits of Hospice nursing
The primary role of nursing is to provide care and maximize the quality of life for their patients. Hospice nursing provides both physical and emotional support to terminally ill patients and ensuring that they receive the best care and have a dignified death. Helping families of the patient understand, comforting, and preparing them for the loss helps in making meaningful differences in their lives.
However, the nature of hospice care has a lot of challenges. A hospice nurse helps and often develops a close attachment with their patients during the period of care. When death finally comes, they also experience the pain of loss, which can be very hard to cope with.
